I'll begin by saying that Behold the Monster is probably the most confusing book I've ever read. Let's see why:
1) it can be categorized as "not-so-true crime", since the greatest part of it is fictionalized. This might also be ok if we clearly knew which parts are fiction and which are not, but unfortunately we have no such luck: the reader is often left wondering if they're reading what the author learnt via interviews and research or what she's evoking with her imagination
2) some dialogs or personal musings of the author (which, by the way, very often delve into her private life for no reason, recounting misleading details) go on and on and on for so long that at a certain point you can barely remember what it is being talked about
3) the book does not follow a chronological or topical order, the time line feels totally random, in that the author keeps bouncing between the 1970/80s and present day from chapter to chapter. She goes off a tangent so often, jumping from one topic to another, that you find yourself wondering "what am I reading now?" (at some point she mentions her technique to recollect what she hears without using a note pad, basically by associating each memory in her mind to a physical place she knows in order to be able to conjure up the memory later. I found it fascinating but, well, I guess the book shows that this unfortunately doesn't work). Of course, this also does not really help you remember the names of the people in the narration (be them Samuel Little's victims, family or some detectives who worked on the case)
5) [premise: I'm not a native speaker of English but I am a translator and read mostly in English] the language used by the author is colloquial (to use an understatement) to the extent of being, at times, unintelligible to someone who's fluent in English.
Honestly, I'm really sorry for my review, I really wanted to like this book but I felt the author desperately wanted to talk about every single detail she lived, learned and experienced while interviewing Samuel Little but organized the information in such a haphazard fashion that it feels incomplete, it's too much even if at the end of the day (and of the book) you basically only learned what you could read in the blurb.

Behold the Monster is a true crime book written by Jillian Lauren. It is the story of [one of IMO] America's most prolific serial killer, Sam Little along with his many victims. Not only does it cover Sam Little, his victims, but it also dives into the psychology of what could have potentially made Little behave the way he did. You know, nurture vs nature.

I studied psychology, mainly cognitive and behavior, so it was interesting to learn about Sam Little's childhood and upbringing. Jillian Lauren did try and help you see the victims' stories through their eyes - which can be difficult to read. However, the book did seem to jump from situation and/or perspective to another. It did seem unstructured and a bit hard to follow at times. When I read true crime, I like to stick with the facts (think textbook/documentary) whereas Jillian Lauren interjected a lot of her own perspective. While I agree Same Little was beyond a horrible person, I wish it would have covered more about his upbringing and victims. It's too common that we, as a society, focus too much on the killer, their name (which is what they want, to be infamous) rather than spending time on the victims and even their horrific endings.

With that being said, I did enjoy this book even with the constructive criticism. If you are like me then you should still enjoy the book, especially going into it knowing that it has the author's opinions in it as well versus being straight to the point.

All in all 3/5 stars.

This book is an interesting blend of memoir, true crime investigation, and the creation of narrative from the victim's perspective. The presentation of this story is unique, but I struggle to change perspectives as frequently as these chapters require. It's not a fault of the book, it's a personal preference. As a prosecutor, I wanted to know more about certain aspects of Sam's story and prosecution, but it's not my story to tell. I almost wish the author had written two books - one about his crimes, capture, and confessions and the other about her experience getting to know Sam. It was helpful for me to appreciate this story to know in advance that it was a mixture of storytelling styles so my expectations didn't go unmet. Thank you Net Galley, Source Books & Jillian Lauren for the advanced copy for my honest review.

4 stars. *

A beautifully written, emotionally wrought story of a journalist who develops a relationship with the most prolific serial killer in American History. Sam Little was unequivocally a monster. Somehow Jillian Lauren also makes one understand that he was also a human, with a complicated history. By the time he died of COVID-19, she had managed to get him to open up enough to her that she became part of the story of corroborating his stories and solving unsolved cases. She also became his next of kin and has his remains on a shelf in her garage.

This book was weird. It made me uncomfortable. But I liked it. If you're a true crime aficionado, I highly recommend this book.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for this honest review.

Wow, this is a dark one. Enter at your own risk as it’s about the most prolific serial killer of all time. I could never have gotten as close to this guy as the author did, she’s got massive courage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was pretty good, but wish it had been shorter. Not my favorite, but definitely entertaining. Thank you for the copy.

It's always hard to sympathize with people who are truly evil but you can't help but wonder - if they didn't have the life they lived growing up, would they have turned out the same way? True crime interests me like it does many others. I find myself reading books similar and saying "Why am I reading this?" This is the stuff that actually gives me legitimate nightmares.

Very interesting read. I had never heard of Sam Little before this. Not one of the best true crime books I’ve read, but interesting. Sad how bad his life was growing up, but even sadder were the crimes he committed.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was an interesting narrative of Sam Little. I never heard of him before reading the book, and I think he’s the first black serial killer I’ve ever read about.

Still as interesting as it was it was still a difficult read, Sam Little did not have the best life growing up and that was hard to read about it and then to read about the last minutes of his victims lives, was difficult too. Still think the author did a good job putting everything together.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren is a true crime book all about Samuel Little's victims.
I would give "Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren a 3-star review because the concept is interesting. But I felt that Lauren was very personally present in this book. I did I enjoyed a lot of parts. Like reading that they used old and new police work to learn about the crimes that Sam Little committed. Things were confusing at times.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren is a true crime book all about Samuel Little's victims.

I would give "Behold the Monsters" by Jillian Lauren a 2-star review because the concept is interesting but how the author approved this wasn't one that I enjoyed at all and things were confusing at times.

True crime is a passion of mine, but there is just something about reading this that just had me constantly going "hmmmm".

Behold the Monster, is about serial killer Sam Little.

Sam Little was behind bars when he met with the author, Jillian Lauren.
It was with Jillian that Sam started confessing all his murders.

Sam spoke with Jillian during their prison visits, and most often on their phone calls, divulging all kinds of information he had never told anyone else before.

This book gives an overview of Sam Little's victims.
We get a clue as to what their last moments on earth were like.

The author also interviewed family members of some of the victims, so that their memory could live on.

Everything about Samuel Little showed that he was a very troubled individual. From early childhood, to adolescence, then on into adulthood.

Sam Little confessed to killing 93 women. The FBI has confirmed 60 cases.

Therefore, Sam might be the "most prolific serial killer in American history on record."

If true crime is something you enjoy, I highly recommend this.

While Samuel Little is a very interesting subject for true crime fans, i felt that Lauren was too personally present in this book, especially in her attempts to connect with Little and his family members or the families of the victims.

This book was enjoyable. It took me awhile to get into it and I put it down a few times.
However, about halfway through I got into it and found it enjoyable.
Thank you

I have heard of serial killer, Sam Little but not in this context and with so much detail. I loved how the author presented each victim and told each of their stories. I loved how they were constantly named throughout the book as well as all the states he traveled. It was also interesting to hear her interactions with him while he was in jail, what that looked like and the details surrounding his passing. I love her true crime writing and would be interested in reading more true crime from her.

(Full disclosure- I finished this book months ago without writing a review for online use, so the book is not fresh in my head).

This book is a book about a serial killer I have never heard about, Samuel Lewis. He is considered the most prolific killer in the US. He’s an evil, devious man as all serial killers are.

The writing was clear and easy to understand.

I did no care about the book being of multiple parts/viewpoints, subjects being bounced around and it felt like several books within a book to me. I did not feel as emotionally connected to this biography as I have been reading about other victims in the past. I found it disturbing to hear that Lewis considered her a friend and his next of kin, and I believe this affected her writing a great deal.

Engaging and immersive. This is a recommended purchase for collections where true crime and thrillers are popular.

If true crime fascinates you, then this book is for you. Jillian Lauren has terrifyingly brought the most prolific serial killer to life. She describes the victims and the killer so well it will make you cringe. The horrors that Samuel Little committed will break your heart and at the same time, make you angry. How did it take so long for him to be caught? I can say, hands down, Jillian Lauren is probably one of the best writers I've came across. She gives so much attention to detail. This book is extremely well written, even if the subject give you nightmares.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jillian Lauren and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Behold the Monster: Confronting America's Most Prolific Serial Killer by Jillian Lauren is a true crime book that may interest fans of this genre. The serial killer and his victims are portrayed quite vividly. The murders themselves are realistically portrayed and may be too much for some. The absolute horror and depravity of this serial killer is clear. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.